Salisbury Mayor Jake Day used the Wicomico River as a backdrop to unveil a proposed budget for fiscal 2018 – a $58.8 million spending package that includes a major restructuring of city departments and cuts property taxes for homeowners.

Day announced his plan Wednesday morning to a crowd that included members of the local business community, city employees, elected officials and a flock of noisy Canada geese.

“That’s just part of Salisbury, right?” he said with a sideways glance toward the honking birds.

The setting at 500 Riverside Drive, which has been vacant for years, is “no better metaphor for Salisbury,” Day told the crowd. The 3-acre site was recently purchased by the owners of Cactus Taverna who plan to develop it as a shopping, dining and office complex next year.

The budget is based on a 6.7 percent reduction in homeowners’ property taxes from 96 cents to 90 cents per $100 of assessed value. The tax cut, which Day said is the first in Salisbury’s history, will apply only to owner-occupied dwellings in the city.

The mayor also is proposing an 11 percent reduction on personal property taxes which businesses pay on equipment and inventory.

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The proposed budget creates five new departments and eliminates four, a move that the mayor said will improve efficiency.

“Our organizational structure is a dinosaur,” he said of the existing system.

The new departments are Infrastructure and Development headed by Amanda Pollack, Field Operations headed by Tom Stevenson, Water Works headed by Mike Moulds, Finance headed by Keith Cordrey and Procurement headed by Jennifer Miller.

Day is proposing the elimination of Internal Services, Public Works, Geographic Information Systems and Building Permits and Inspections. Functions of those departments will now fall under one of the new departments, he said.

The changes mean there will be a “one-stop shop” for development, permitting and plan review. The system in place now requires developers to submit four applications and sets of plans to the shared city-county planning office, city Public Works, the fire department and the city’s Building Permits and Inspections, but Day said everything will soon be handled in one office.

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Michael Day, a former City Council member who is no relation to the mayor, attended Wednesday’s budget announcement and said he favors streamlining government and likes the one-stop shop approach.

“I always thought that was the way to go,” he said.

The proposed budget includes $18.1 million for the new Water Works Department, $13.1 for the police department and $8.3 million for the fire department.

It also includes money to pay for a new Riverwalk amphitheater, the completion of the first phase of the Main Street project and the start of the next phase, the implementation of the master plans for the Salisbury Zoo and City Park, development of a North Prong park, improvements to Waterside Park, the start of a rail trail, the lacrosse program at Doverdale Playground, two new community centers and a housing program for the homeless.

Mike Dunn, president and CEO of the Greater Salisbury Committee, said he was impressed with the mayor’s talk of growth, low taxes and a AA bond rating.

“Everything I heard here was good,” he said.

Michael Day, who serves as chairman of the city’s Arts and Entertainment Commission, said he was “thrilled” by the direction in which Salisbury is headed.

“I think Jake has been the biggest breath of fresh air,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the future.”